Brittany Dubins and home stars set the stage in Portimão

First came the celebration of qualification for the FIP World Cup 2026, now comes a new challenge in Portugal. Brittany Dubins is ready to return to competition after helping the USA women’s team secure its place in the final stage of the world championship in Doha this November. The American heads back to Portugal, the country where she won the first of her seven CUPRA FIP Tour titles in July last year. This time, “Britt” will compete in Portimão, where the FIP Bronze main draw gets underway on Friday. Alongside her will be Portugal’s number one player, 19-year-old Clarinha Santos, who is chasing her third title of the season. The pair lead the draw ahead of Italy’s Lorena Vano, who partners Alina Yeroshenko, Ukraine’s leading player, making her first FIP appearance in Portugal. Also among the title contenders are another member of the Portuguese national team, Alexandra Silva, alongside compatriot Catarina Santos (3), followed by Spain’s Ana Varo and Armenia’s Ana Guryanova (4).

In the men’s draw, two more of Portugal’s leading players take centre stage: Pedro Graça and Pedro Araujo, who won silver at last year’s FIP Euro Padel Cup. The home pair are chasing their second title of 2026 after their victory in Madeira last February, with Victor Mena and Nacho Archieri heading the men’s entry list as their main rivals. In the top half of the draw, a potential semi-final between the Rico brothers stands out: Javi is looking for a first title alongside Nicolas Galarza, while Josete is targeting a second title with Joan Cruz after their triumph at the FIP Bronze Rijswijk at the end of May.